Rs.2,040m spent for welfare of 53,833 IDPs

Uditha Kumarasinghe, Irangika Range and Sandasen Marasinghe

KOTTE: Chief Government Whip and Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardene told Parliament yesterday that the Government has spent Rs. 2,040 million for the welfare of around 53,833 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in 11 districts.

Responding to a question by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayaka, the Minister said the Government has spent Rs.1,250 million in 2007 while the expenditure for the IDPs in 2008 was is Rs.790 million.

‘These people have been displaced due to terrorism and violent activities committed by the LTTE in the Northern Province and many other areas grabed by them” he said.

Most IDPs are from Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaithivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Anuradhapura, Puttalam and Pollonnaruwa., he said.

Meanwhile, the Government is planning to resettle sections of IDPs in Kiran and Chenkaladi soon, the Minister said.